Industry and legislative initiatives have, in recent years, increasing focused on the need to reduce exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines. Industry efforts have led to the introduction of catalytic converters, particulate filters and other technologies to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy. There is a continuing advantage to keep those components in repair to ensure that the environmental goals of industry and legislatures are met during the operating life of a vehicle. Warranty issues are reduced when the vehicle is kept in repair, and environmental goals are addressed when the exhaust emissions are controlled.
The present invention relates to a method for verifying the functionality of the components of a diesel a particulate filter system.
The present invention further relates to a method to perform rationality checks on sensors in an exhaust system of a diesel engine, particularly the diesel particulate filter system, to determine whether the sensors are transmitting accurate sensor readings.
The present invention further relates to a method to perform rationality checks on the sensors in a diesel particulate filter system to determine whether they are transmitting accurate data signals and that the exhaust system is in compliance with emissions requirements. If the sensors are determined to be inaccurate, a fault is logged in the engine control unit and a warning indicator may be activated alerting the operator of the need to service the vehicle.